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DCC Decoder and Transponders

Started by tryoung, January 16, 2015, 08:51:15 AM

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tryoung

I have a Bachmann B&M Alco 2-6-0 DCC equipped with sound.
I would like to switch out the DCC decoder with one that has a built in transponder.
Is the sound decoder in this engine a seperate decoder or integrated with the DCC decoder.
I don't want to lose the sound if i switch the decoder out for one with a transponder. ???

ACY

It is definitely not a separate decoder.  There is only one decoder in the locomotive and it is most likely built into the board.

Len

I agree, only one decoder in the tender. The parts diagram shows a board labeled 'DCC01', and when I searched the parts list for the 2-6-0 that board came up as a PCB with an 8-pin socket with a dummy plug in it.

So it looks like 'Plug-n-play' for swapping decoders, the question is finding another 8-pin sound decoder with transponder capability. The only thing that popped up doing a quick search was this:

http://www.digitrax.com/static/apps/products/sound-decoders/sdn136ps/documents/SDN136PS.pdf

Len
If at first you don't succeed, throw it in the spare parts box.

tryoung

The SDN136PS looks like it will work. I'm new to DCC so I'm not comfortable yet with how everything is tied or connected together. I will check with Digitrax and see what they have to say. Thanks for the help. I never thought to look at the parts diagram, and I'm a hardware engineer too.

bapguy

If you go with Digitrax, get the SDXN136PS. It's the newer 16 bit decoder. The other one is 8 bit. Use a 1" speaker with this one. There should be a whole in the bottom of the tender floor for a speaker to fit. These come with several sound schemes loaded in them. 1 should be steam. You can down load other sound files to them but you need a PR3 Xtra to do this. Digitrax has a list of sound files on their web site  http://www.digitrax.com/sound-depot/list/
Check to see what the sound file type is: 8 or 16 bit. The files only work for the correct decoder: 16 bit file for the 16 bit decoder, 8 bit file for the 8 bit decoder.  Joe